Entry No. 13 — the Phoenix file — filed under: art
Wonderspaces Arizona
Tucked into the food court under the escalators at Scottsdale Fashion Square, a rotating set of 12+ walk-through installations includes "Submergence," an 8,064-LED tunnel you swim through, and a robot arm that paints your portrait — with a full cocktail bar built into the exhibit.
The story
You wouldn't expect to find a dark, sensory-bending void sitting under the escalators of Scottsdale Fashion Square, directly past the perfume counters and high-end storefronts. Suite 584 drops you out of the sterile neon glow of the food court and straight into a rotating labyrinth of walk-through art installations. It is a strange piece of surrealism baked into suburban mall architecture.
The installations shift periodically, but anchor pieces lean heavily on scale and interactive tech. You wade through 'Submergence'—a glowing forest of exactly 8,064 hanging LEDs that pulse around your body—or sit still while a motorized robot arm sketches your portrait line by line. The subtle flex, however, is the full-service cocktail bar integrated right into the middle of the dark exhibit floor, letting you sip a drink in the shadows while light sculptures hum around you.
What it's like
Book timed-entry tickets online ($28 and up) before heading in, as entry windows sell out quickly on weekends. Hunt for the lower level entrance tucked beneath the escalators near the food court. Aim for a late-weekday evening slot if you want to dodge the selfie crowd; walking the full loop takes about an hour, and grabbing a drink from the internal bar just as the mall outside shuts down makes for an unexpectedly eerie night cap.
The move: Grab timed evening tickets, walk the full loop together (about an hour), and end at the in-exhibit bar for a drink surrounded by animated light sculptures while the mall's regular shops close down around you.
- 📍 Scottsdale (Scottsdale Fashion Square)
- 💸 $$
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Indoors
Where: 7014 E Camelback Rd, Suite 584, Scottsdale, AZ 85251
Hours: Added 2026-07-19 — confirm current hours before you go.
Pair it with
- One-Eyed Jack — Follow up the slick indoor light sculptures with Old Town's massive 26-foot painted steel jackrabbit just over half a mile away.
- Cattle Track Arts Compound — Contrast Wonderspaces' high-gloss mall setup with a rustic, 1930s hand-built artist colony tucked a mile and a half north.
- 36 Below — Keep the hidden cocktail theme going by heading straight from the exhibit bar to an underground greenhouse speakeasy in nearby Arcadia.
Good to know
Where inside the mall is Wonderspaces located?
It sits in Suite 584 on the lower level of Scottsdale Fashion Square, right under the escalators near the food court.
Can you carry drinks through the installations?
Yes, there is a full cocktail bar built directly inside the exhibit floor so you can walk through the installations with a drink.
How long does a visit usually take?
Most visitors spend about one hour walking through the 12-plus rotating installations at a self-guided pace.
Do I need to buy tickets in advance?
Timed-entry tickets should be purchased online beforehand to guarantee entry, especially during night or weekend hours.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: Official site · secretphoenix.co · thebrassie.com
last checked: 2026-07-19